Short Breaks

Since May 2024, PaCC has been chairing Short Breaks meetings, which are also attended by parent carers and leads from Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC).

If you want to find out more about Short Breaks, we recommend the Government’s Short breaks for carers of disabled children. Departmental advice for local authorities. March 2011 and the charity Contact’s Short breaks.

The first meeting (back in May 2024) was arranged in response to significant concerns within the community about the inadequacy of short break provision during the Easter holiday, and to seek reassurances about plans for the future to ensure improvements were made, especially in time for the summer holidays.

PaCC has been representing these issues to BHCC in recent months/years and, in addition, 1,164 people signed a petition saying that Brighton & Hove should provide full day provision for families of children with SEND. BHCC acknowledged these concerns and restated their commitment to listening and working with parents on implementing solutions. The meetings, attended by BHCC leads and by the parent carer community, to hear about the areas of work to address the gaps in provision, look at:

• Concerns around Wrapround Care including breakfast clubs and after school clubs’ availability
• Concerns around holidays provision for children and young people with SEND
• How provision for children and young people (CYP) with high support needs will be met, including residential respite at Drove Road and Tudor House
• Services and support available for you and your family in Brighton & Hove
• How information on short breaks is shared
• Clear information around eligibility criteria for short breaks and Wrapround Care
• Direct Payments
• Personal Budget Pathways

BHCC has committed to publish replies to the many questions that were raised by parent carers, including those submitted to PaCC and via SEND Us a Break.

You can see all the previous important Short Breaks documents here:

• The Parent Carers Council (PaCC) Position Statement re Brighton and Hove City Council’s (BHCC) budget 2025/26
• Parent Carer Forum – Short break Survey Results Feb 2025
• Link Up February Half Term 2025
• BHCC response to PaCC Position Statement Short Breaks January 2025
• Parent Carer Forum – Short break Survey Results Feb 2025
• BHCC comms to families re BHCC 2025/26 budget line proposed change of use of the standalone Drove Road flat
• BHCC comms re Drove Road overnight respite 03.03.25
• BHCC response to PaCC BHCC Budget 25/26 Position Statement
• Ofsted Inspection Drove Road April 2025
• Drove Road Ofsted Report 29.05.2025 PaCC First Response Statement